Gumayusi, the star ADC of T1, had made comments that suggest the current roster will not remain together for the 2024 season. “Worlds is special every year, and I know our fans might not like it when I say this, but I think this might be the last Worlds we play as a team. In a way, I think it’s more meaningful this time because I want to win the tournament with this team. Also, for Faker and T1, it’s their first Worlds in Korea, so they have a strong desire to win. I hope it will be a tournament where we can make up for our runner-up finish in the past," Gumayusi told Naver.
The current iteration of T1 (Zeus, Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, Keria) has been together since the 2021 season. Zeus, Oner, and Keria all joined the team in late 2020 after a down year for the prolific franchise. However, their results have been mixed. They failed to win an LCK title in 2021 and lost in the semifinals at Worlds. 2022 appeared to be a better year for the squad. However, they were upset in the Grand Final of Worlds by DRX. Furthermore, T1 has lost its spot as Korea's perennial champion. They have finished second in the last three LCK splits (Summer 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023). In each one, they lost decisively to Gen.G each time. The aggregated record across those three splits is 9-2 to Gen.G.
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Last Dance For T1?
As mentioned by Gumayusi, despite T1's longstanding dominance, this is actually the first time that the team will play at Worlds hosted by their home nation. Additionally, people are unsure just how long Faker has left in his pro career. While the star midlaner is contracted through 2025, his quality of play has been slowly declining in recent years. Furthermore, for the first time in several years, T1 had to play without Faker as he rehabbed from an arm injury. Much like the '95/96 Bulls, this could be the "Last Dance" for one of the most recognizable LCK rosters in recent years.
However, Gumayusi's comments should not come as too much of a surprise. There have been some rumors about a change up at T1 to compete with the likes of Gen.G. Meanwhile, Zeus and Keria are both on expiring contracts while Oner is signed through 2024. It remains to be seen what a strong run at Worlds 2023 will have on these decisions. At MSI 2023 in May, T1 finished third behind Chinese powerhouses JDG and Bilibili Gaming. Both of those teams will be seen as title favorites at Worlds.
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